1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to drains, and more particularly to drain masts such as used to drain liquids from within an aircraft to the exterior of the aircraft.
2. Description of Related Art
An aircraft drain mast whether for water, fuel, or other liquids, protrudes from the fuselage into the airstream far enough that the discharged media is cleanly swept away such that it does not reattach to the aircraft. For example, a drain mast can be used to drain condensation and/or fuel leakage from the inner to outer tube gap in a double walled fuel line. The geometry and size of the drain mast, e.g., height, width, length and airfoil shape, contribute to drag components, which are items to be minimized for maximizing fuel consumption and range. Many conventional drain masts are built with full length tubes and can require significant efforts to repair a damaged tube, such as dismantling the mast with subsequent reassembly, repainting and retesting.
Such conventional methods and systems have generally been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is still a need in the art for improved drain masts and methods of making drain masts. The present disclosure provides a solution for these problems.